What to Expect When Hiring a Real Estate Photographer in Salt Lake City, Park City, and Throughout Utah
A first-time listing agent in Lehi called me last week, about to hire professional real estate photography for the first time. She had lots of questions:
"How does this work? What do I do to prepare a Silicon Slopes property for photos? How long does it take? What will I receive? What if I need changes?"
These are great questions, whether you're listing in downtown Salt Lake City, the Park City mountains, Lehi's tech corridor, Sandy's family neighborhoods, Draper foothills, or anywhere in Utah.
Let me walk you through what you should expect when you hire professional real estate media services for your Utah listings.
First Contact: Booking Services for Your Utah Property
Initial Consultation: We'll discuss your property—whether it's a condo in Salt Lake City's downtown, a foothill home in Draper or Bountiful, a family property in Sandy or West Jordan, a tech corridor home in Lehi or American Fork, a luxury estate in Park City or Alpine, a starter home in West Valley or Taylorsville, or an acreage property in Tooele or Summit County
We'll discuss what services make sense (photography, video, drone for mountain views, virtual tour, floor plans), timeline needs, special features to highlight (Wasatch views, ski access, finished basement, outdoor living spaces), and your goals for the listing.
Clear Pricing: Transparent pricing with no hidden fees. Package pricing for bundled services, clear information about any travel considerations for locations outside primary service area, straightforward costs for each service.
Scheduling: We coordinate timing that works for you and the property owner. Best times for optimal Utah lighting (late morning through afternoon captures our abundant sunshine well), weather considerations for drone work (especially important for showcasing mountain views), property access arrangements, your timeline for getting listing live.
You'll receive confirmation with all details for your Salt Lake County, Utah County, Summit County, Davis County, or other Utah location.
Preparation: Getting Utah Properties Ready
Properties throughout Utah need proper preparation:
Exterior Prep: Mow lawn, trim landscaping (important for curb appeal in Sandy, Draper, South Jordan neighborhoods), clean windows (crucial for capturing mountain views), clear walkways and driveways, hide trash cans, straighten outdoor furniture and accessories, ensure outdoor living spaces are staged (popular in Utah's outdoor-focused lifestyle)
Interior Prep: Deep clean everything (especially important in Utah's dry climate where dust shows easily), declutter all surfaces, remove personal items, make all beds with neutral bedding, clear bathroom counters, hide trash cans and pet items, turn on ALL lights (critical for showcasing homes whether in bright Park City or shaded Salt Lake City properties), open all blinds to show mountain views
Day-of Reminders: Turn on all interior and exterior lights, open blinds to showcase Wasatch or Oquirrh views, remove cars from driveway, ensure comfortable temperature (important in Utah's temperature extremes)
Why It Matters: Whether shooting a luxury Park City property or a starter home in West Valley, proper preparation is crucial for stunning results.
Shoot Day: Professional Services Throughout Utah
When we arrive at your property in Salt Lake City, Sandy, Lehi, Park City, Layton, or anywhere in Utah:
Arrival and Walk-Through: We assess lighting conditions (Utah's high elevation and abundant sunshine create unique opportunities), identify best angles for mountain views, note special features (updated kitchens, mountain vistas, finished basements, ski access), plan shooting sequence, identify last-minute adjustments.
Photography Process: Exterior first—capturing multiple angles, all sides, mountain backdrop whether Wasatch or Oquirrh, outdoor spaces popular in Utah lifestyle. Interior next—working systematically through every room, emphasizing natural light from Utah's sunny climate, showcasing updated features and finished basements. Detail shots of special features and selling points.
Video Production: Smooth stabilized footage capturing property flow, highlighting best features (mountain views from Draper properties, modern finishes in Lehi tech homes, ski access for Park City listings, family-friendly spaces in Sandy neighborhoods), transitions between rooms, detail shots, multiple takes ensuring quality.
Drone Work: Essential for many Utah properties to showcase mountain context. Capturing multiple elevations and angles, property positioning relative to Wasatch Front or surrounding mountains, neighborhood context (important for Daybreak, South Jordan, Lehi communities), views and landscape features, ski resort proximity for Park City area properties.
Virtual Tour Capture: Strategic camera placement throughout property, complete spherical capture at each point, comprehensive coverage especially valuable for Park City vacation homes marketed nationally or tech corridor properties attracting California relocations.
Time Investment: Varies by property size and location. Standard home in Sandy or West Jordan: 1-2 hours. Larger Draper or Alpine property: 2-3 hours. Luxury Park City estate: 3-4+ hours. We work efficiently while ensuring thorough coverage.
Post-Production: Professional Editing
After leaving your Salt Lake County, Utah County, or Summit County property:
Photo Editing: Exposure correction optimized for Utah's bright conditions, color grading ensuring accurate representation, vertical line adjustment, HDR blending for window views showing mountains, detail enhancement, professional polish for properties from West Valley to Park City.
Video Editing: Selecting best clips, arranging in compelling sequence, color grading for consistency, adding music appropriate to property style (contemporary for Lehi tech homes, elegant for Park City luxury, warm for Sandy family properties), creating smooth transitions, adding text overlays with location information, exporting in multiple formats.
Virtual Tour Processing: Stitching spherical images, aligning and connecting scan points, integrating floor plans, adding navigation elements, branding customization, testing and quality control.
Quality Control: Reviewing every image and video, checking for Utah-specific elements properly captured (mountain views, outdoor spaces, natural light), ensuring all files properly labeled and organized, confirming everything meets our standards whether for downtown Salt Lake City condo or Park City mountain estate.
Delivery: Receiving Your Utah Listing Media
Within next-day turnaround, you receive completed media for your Utah property:
Delivery Format: Secure digital download, organized folders clearly labeled, multiple formats where appropriate (vertical for social media, horizontal for websites, web-optimized and high-resolution versions), instructions for using different elements.
What's Included: Based on your package—all edited images showing your property whether in Sandy, Draper, Lehi, or Park City, videos in multiple formats, aerial photos and video showcasing mountain context, virtual tour links and embed codes, floor plan files, marketing templates, any custom deliverables discussed.
Organization: Files organized by type and use, clear naming conventions including location (e.g., "123-Main-St-Sandy-UT-Exterior-01.jpg"), easy to find what you need for MLS, website, social media, or print materials.
Using Your Media to Market Throughout Utah
Your media package is optimized for marketing across Utah's diverse markets:
MLS Listings: High-quality images formatted for Utah's MLS systems (WFRMLS, Utahrealestate.com), video where supported, floor plans easily uploadable, virtual tour links included.
Social Media: Content ready for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok targeting buyers throughout Utah, location tags for specific cities (Sandy, Draper, Lehi, Park City, etc.), hashtags relevant to Utah real estate (#UtahHomes #WasatchFront #ParkCityLiving #SiliconSlopes).
Website and Email: Files formatted for your website, email campaigns to clients throughout Salt Lake County, Utah County, Summit County, Davis County, marketing to relocations moving to Utah from California, Seattle, Texas.
Print Materials: High-resolution images for flyers, postcards, feature sheets used at open houses in Sandy, Draper, Lehi, or anywhere in Utah.
Support for Utah Real Estate Agents
After delivery, we provide ongoing support:
Technical Support: Help with file formats, virtual tour integration, questions about using media across different platforms, assistance with Utah-specific marketing needs.
Best Practices: Guidance on which images work best for Salt Lake City urban properties vs. Park City mountain listings, video optimization for reaching California buyers relocating to Utah's tech corridor, social media strategies for different Utah markets.
Revisions if Needed: Minor adjustments at no charge, discussion of any concerns, willingness to address issues, commitment to your satisfaction whether listing in West Valley or Alpine.
Timeline for Utah Listings
Here's typical timeline from booking to listing live:
Day 1: Book services for your Salt Lake City, Park City, Lehi, Sandy, or other Utah property Day 2-3: Property preparation by seller Day 4: Shoot conducted at property Day 5: Next-day delivery of all media, listing can go live immediately
Total timeline: About 5 days with most being property prep, not waiting for delivery. Perfect for Utah's competitive markets where speed matters.
Working with Power Homes Media Throughout Utah
Statewide Service: We serve Salt Lake City, Park City, Lehi, Sandy, Draper, West Jordan, Orem, Provo, Layton, Bountiful, Ogden, St. George, and communities throughout Utah
Local Expertise: Understanding what sells in each market—mountain views in Draper, ski access in Park City, tech corridor appeal in Lehi, family features in Sandy, value in Tooele County
Fast Turnaround: Next-day delivery standard for all Utah locations
Consistent Quality: Same high standards for downtown Salt Lake City condo or luxury Park City estate
Comprehensive Services: All media needs from one reliable provider serving Utah's diverse real estate markets
What Sets Us Apart in Utah Markets
Understanding Utah Buyers: We know what appeals to buyers in different markets—out-of-state relocations to Lehi's Silicon Slopes, California buyers seeking Utah value, Park City vacation home investors, military families near Hill Air Force Base, families seeking Utah lifestyle in Sandy or Draper.
Showcasing Utah's Advantages: Expert at capturing mountain views, ski resort access, outdoor living spaces, abundant sunshine and natural light, finished basements (Utah standard), proximity to recreation and lifestyle amenities.
Market-Specific Expertise: Different approach for Salt Lake City urban properties vs. Park City luxury vs. Lehi tech corridor vs. Tooele County value markets.
The Bottom Line
Whether you're listing in Salt Lake City, Park City, Lehi, Sandy, Draper, West Jordan, Orem, Layton, Bountiful, Tooele, St. George, or anywhere in Utah, working with professional real estate media services should be straightforward, efficient, and result in exceptional marketing materials.
At Power Homes Media, we've refined our process over years serving Utah agents to deliver exactly the experience and results you need—comprehensive services, consistent quality, fast turnaround, and professional support throughout.
From first contact through final delivery and beyond, we make the process smooth and results exceptional for properties throughout Utah's diverse markets.
Ready to experience professional real estate media services for your next Salt Lake City, Park City, Lehi, or other Utah listing? Let's showcase your property beautifully and help it sell successfully.
